Coin analyzer wire runway

ABSTRACT

A coin analyzer comprises a single wire shaped to provide a runway, an orifice to the runway, and means to control the speed of a coin before it enters the orifice. The wire, which is connected at a single point to its support means, has the runway formed by cooperating portions of the wire so that coins or slugs, which are a different thickness or diameter than the coin of the specific value to be selected, will not be directed to a selected area.

United States Patent Mitchell A. Hall F t. Thomas, Ky.

Mar. 26, 1969 June 29, 1971 Monarch Tool & Manufacturing Company Covington, Ky.

Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee com ANALYZERWIRE RUNWAY 26 Claims, 22 Drawing F 0.5. CI 194/102 Int. Cl G071 3/02 194/99,

Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,590 1/1952 Poisen et al 194/97 2,843,241 7/1958 Clark 194/1 (.8)X

Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Att0rne vJ. Warren Kinney, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A coin analyzer comprises a single wire shaped to provide a runway, an orifice to the runway, and means to control the speed of a coin before it enters the orifice. The wire, which is connected at a single point to its support means, has the runway formed by cooperating portions of the wire so that coins or slugs, which are a difierent thickness or diameter than the coin of the specific value to be selected, will not be directed to a selected area.

PATENTED JUN29 1971 SHEET 1 BF 4 wvE/V MITCHELL A. H

ALL

1% 4 A 0 NH PATENTEU JUN291971 SHEET 2 BF 4 nnn INVENTOR MITCHELL A. HALL ATENTEUJUHNISFE 3,58 ,493

SHEET 0F 4 I FIG-2| MINI"! w INVENTOI? MITCHELL A. HALL COIN ANALYZER WIIRIE RUNWAY In coin mechanisms, a coin must be analyzed as to its diameter and thickness before it is advanced to another area in which magnetic means is utilized to determine if the coin has a proper metallic content. If the coin does not have the thickness and diameter of a coin of the specific value that is to be received by the coin of the specific value that is to be received by the coin mechanism, coin analyzers prevent the coin from reaching the selected area in which the magnetic means is disposed to determine the metallic content of the coin. In analyzing a coin, the coin is directed along a runway that has a configuration which permits a determination to be made as to whether the coin has the requisite diameter and thickness of a coin of the specific value that is to be received by the coin mechanism.

The runways of coin analyzers have previously been formed of plates on which the coins rolls. However, dirt tends to collect on these plates from the coins whereby the build up of dirt prevent the coin analyzer from allowing coins having the specific value from moving to the selected area in which their metallic contents can be determined by the magnetic means since the build up of dirt reduces the diameter of the coins that may roll along the runway to the selected area.

Furthermore, since many coin mechanisms are utilized in laundromats, the fingers of the coin depositor may be wet whereby the coin will have liquid thereon. This liquid also aids in the build up of dirt on the runway.

The present invention satisfactorily overcomes the foregoing problems by utilizing a round wire, which is preferably formed of stainless steel spring wire, for the runway. As a result, there is only point contact between the coin and the round wire whereby there can be no build up of dirt. The point contact arrangement also tends to be self-cleaning.

Additionally, the round wire provides less resistance to the movement of the coin than a plate. This is because there is only the point contact between the edge of the coin and the runway rather than a contact of the entire surface of the edge of the coin with a plate of the runway as occurs in presently available coin analyzers.

Furthermore, if cleaning of the runway of the present invention should be necessary, the round wire consists of much less surface than a plate and is easily accessible. Thus, it can be easily cleaned in its mounted position.

In presently available coin analyzers, a cradle is employed to control the speed of the coin before it enters the runway. This is necessary so that the coin does not roll too rapidly along the runway. These prior cradles have utilized relatively large surfaces or a friction type bearing arrangement.

The present invention utilizes parts of the single continuous wire, which also forms the runway, to control the speed of the coin before it enters an orifice, which also is defined by the wire. In the preferred arrangement, the control of the speed of the coin is accomplished by vibration of the wire.

Thus, in addition to controlling the speed of the coin before it enters the runway, this vibration of the wire causes the runway portions of the single wire to also vibrate whereby any loose liquid or dirt on the wire is removed therefrom to prevent build up of dirt on the runway. Of course, this vibration of the wire also prevents any build up of dirt on the portion of the wire functioning as the speed control for the coin. Therefore, positive control of the coins speed is always obtained with the present invention.

Since the wire is round, no burrs or sharp edges are generated thereon when forming the wire into its desired shape. Thus, the coin analyzer of the present invention does not have any burrs or sharp edges to collect dirt or to reduce the speed of the coin along the runway below that required to permit analysis of the coin.

Furthermore, the present invention requires only a single .oint of attachment for support. Thus, whenever it is necessa- .y to remove the coin analyzer of the present invention from its support means, this may be quickly and easily accomplished.

A primary object of this I invention is to provide a coin analyzer formed of round wire to allow only coins of a specific value to be directed to-a selected area.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly efficient, though relatively inexpensive coin analyzer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a coin analyzer supported from a single point.

Other objects of this invention will be readily perceived from the following claims, description, and drawings.

The attached drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the coin analyzer of the present invention mounted in a support;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the structure of FIG. 1 and illustrating the insertion of a coin of the specific value that is to be directed to a selected area;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the structure of FIG. 3 and taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view in which the coin has advanced from the position of FIG. 3 to the position in which its speed is controlled before entering an orifice to the runway;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view, similar to FIG. 6, but showing the coin at the orifice to the runway;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, showing the coin in the runway portion of the coin analyzer of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 and showing the edge of the coin supported by a wire portion forming part of the runway;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view, similar to FIGS. 6 and 7, but showing an oversized coin or slug;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the structure of FIG. 10 and taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front elevational view, similar to FIG. 6, showing a coin of a smaller diameter than the coin to be selected disposed in the position in which its speed is controlled before entering an orifice to the runway;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary front elevational view, similar to FIG. 12, and showing the coin of smaller diameter advanced to the runway;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the struc ture of FIG. 13 and taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary elevational view, similar to FIG. 6, showing a slug thinner than the coin of the specific value but of the same diameter as the coin of the specific value disposed in the runway area;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the structure of FIG. I5 and taken along line 16-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a sectional. view, partly in plan, of the structure of FIG. 15 and taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary front elevational view, similar to FIG. 6, showing a slug of greater thickness than the coin of the specific value but of the same diameter as the coin of the specific value disposed in the runway area;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the struc- I ture of FIG. 18 and taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing another form of the coin analyzer of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the structure of FIG. 20 and taken along line 21-21 of FIG. 20; and

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an element utilized in the coin speed control area of the coin analyzer of FIG. 20.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a single continuous wire 10, which functions as the coin analyzer of the present invention and is preferably formed of stainless steel spring round wire, mounted in a support housing indicated generally at 11. The wire 10 is supported on a wall 12 of the housing 11 by a screw or the like 14.

The wire 10 includes a first portion 15 and a second portion 16 disposed adjacent each other and cooperating to form a runway for a coin. The parts of the portions 15 and 16. which are connected to each other, are disposed sufiiciently close to each other at A that a coin cannot pass therebetween while the parts of the portions 15 and I6 functioning as the runway are spaced from each other to allow a coin or slug which is thinner than the coin of the specific value to be directed to the selected area to fall therebetween.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, a part of the first portion 15 is inclined at a greater angle to the horizontal than a part of the second portion 16 in the area in which the portions 15 and 16 function as the runway. Thus, the portions 15 and 16 are not only spaced from each other in a horizontal plane to allow a coin or slug thinner than a coin of the specific value to pass therebetween but the first portion 15 also has a greater inclination to the horizontal than the second portion 16.

The part of the second portion 16 that functions as part of the runway cooperates with a third portion 17 to support coins of the specific value therebetween by the portions 16 and 17 engaging a face of the coin. One end of the second portion 16 is connected by a fourth portion 18 to one end of the third portion 17 to vertically space the portions 16 and 17. The distance between the portion 17 and either of the portions 15 and 16 is less than the diameter of the coin of the specific value that is to be directed to the selected area by the coin analyzer ofthe present invention. Because of the inclination of the first portion 15 the distance between the third portion 17 and the first portion 15 is greater than the distance between the third portion 17 and the second portion 16.

The wire 10 has a fifth portion 19, which is formed in the shape of a loop and connected at one end to the other end of the third portion 17, to receive the screw 14 to provide the connecting means for the wire 10 to the housing 11. When the wire 10 is mounted on the housing 11 by the screw 14, the fifth portion 19 is disposed adjacent the wall i2 while the other portions are positioned further from the wall 12 as disclosed in FIG. 5.

The wire 10 has a sixth portion 20, which has one end connected to the other end of the fifth portion 19, extending substnntially perpendicular to the wall 12 of the housing 11. The sixth portion 20 cooperates with parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 to form an orifice or entrance for the coin before it enters the runway.

The cooperating parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 are disposed sufficiently close to each other as at A so that no coin can fall therebetween. These are the parts of the first portion I and the second portion 16 adjacent to the parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 that control the speed ofthe coin before it enters the runway.

The wire has a seventh portion 21 extending from the sixth portion 20 and disposed substantially the same distance from the plane of the wall 12 of the housing 11 as the part of the second portion 16 closest to the connection ofthe second portion 16 to the first portion 15. The wire 10 terminates in an eighth portion 22, which extends at substantially a 45 angle to the seventh portion 21.

The seventh portion 21 and the ighth portion 22 cooperate with a plurality of wires 234.6, which are supported between a lip or shelf 27 of the front wall 12 of the housing It and an upper portion of the front wall 12. of the housing 11, to guide coins onto the parts ofthe first portion and the second portion 16 ofthe wire 10 that function to control the speed ofthe coin before it enters the orifice to the runway. The coins may be inserted through an opening 23 in a side wall 29 of the housing 11. The wires 23-16 are inclined at 12" so that they are spaced from the sixth portion 2. and the seventh portion 22 while the wires 23*26 are in contact with the second por= tion 16 in the area in which th second portion 16. functions as part of the control means for regulating the speed of the coin before it enters the runway.

A wire 30 is supported on sidewall 31 ofthe housing 11 and has an extending portion 32 positioned to cause any coin, which reaches the end of the runway, to be urged against the front wall 12 for falling into the selected area. A second wire 33 also is mounted on the sidewall 31 of the housing 11 and has a pair of extending portions 34 and 35 to aid in guiding the falling coin to the selected area.

The wire 10 is shown in a configuration in which only a quarter can be directed into the selected area. It should be noted that the coin is initially calibrated for width and height as it passes through the entrance slot or coin opening 28. As shown in FIG. 3, a coin 36, which is a quarter, is inserted through the opening 28. When the coin 36 enters the housing 11, it falls downwardly as indicated by arrow 37 to the phantorn line position of FIG. 3.

In falling to the phantom line position of FIG. 3, the coin 36 may engage an edge of the sixth portion 20 of the wire 10. This insures that the coin 36 engages the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 adjacent their connections to each other in the area in which these parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 function to control the speed of the coin 36 before it enters the orifice.

The speed of the coin 36 is controlled by the vibrations of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 upon the coin 36 engaging therewith. The movement of only the first portion 15 is shown in phantom line in FIG. 3. Of course, the second portion 16 similarly vibrates as do the third portion 17 and the fourth portion 18 because of their connections to each other.

When the speed of the coin 36 has been reduced sufficiently that it ceases to bounce, the coin 36 moves from the solid line position of FIG. 6 to the solid line position of FIG. 6 to the solid line position of FIG. 7 where the coin 36 is entering the orifice, which is formed between the sixth portion 20 of the wire 10 and parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16. At this position, the parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 are sufficiently close to each other that no coin can fall therebetween.

After the coin 36 leaves the position of FIG. 7 in which it is disposed at the orifice, the coin 36 advances along the runway in the direction of arrow 38 in FIG. 7 to the phantom line position. This phantom line position corresponds to the position of the coin 36 in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The coin 36 is shown on the runway in FIGS. 8 and 9 wherein the periphery of the coin 36 has a point contact with the first portion 15 of the wire 10. The coin 36 has one face supported by the second portion 16 and the third portion 17; the portions 16 and 17 are spaced from each other a distance less than the diameter of the coin 36 as clearly illustrated in FIG. 9. Thus, the coin 36 rolls along the runway, which is formed by parts ofthe portions 15 and 16 of the wire 10.

As the coin 36 advances from the solid line position of FIG. 8 toward the sidewall 31 of the housing 11, it is supported by the fourth portion 18 and the first portion 15 until the coin 36 is disposed between the portion 32 of the wire 30 and the front wall 12. of the housing 11. When this occurs, the portion 32 of the wire 30 insures that the coin 36 falls into the selected area by being directed in the direction indicated by the phantom line positions ofthe coin 36 in FIG. 8.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is shown a slug 39, which has a diameter larger than the coin 36. Thus, the slug 39 is prevented from entering the orifice to the runway because the distance between the sixth portion 20 of the wire 10 and the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 ofthe wire 10 is smaller than the diameter of the slug 39.

When this occurs, an opening 40 in the front wall 12 shows that the slug cannot pass through the orifice. Of course, the slug 39 could be a coin of larger diameter than a quarter such as a half dollar, for example.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the opening 28 in the sidewall 29 not be a size larger than the size of the coin that will pass through the orifice. This would prevent the problem of the slug 39 blocking the orifice so as to prevent further operation ofthe coin mechanism until the slug 39 is removed.

Referring to FIGS. 12 to 14, there is shown a coin 41, which is a nickel. Since a nickel has a smaller diameter than a quarter, the coin 41 readily enters the opening 28. The coin 41 advances from the position of FIG. 12 through the orifice and along the runway as indicated by arrow 42 in FIG. 12.

When the coin 41 advances through the orifice to the runway so as to be disposed as shown in FIG. 13, the coin 41 will not be supported by the third portion 17 of the wire because of the distance between the third portion 17 and the second portion 16 of the wire 10. As a result, the coin 41 tilts, as shown in FIG. 14 and falls off of the runway before the coin 41 can advance to the position in which it could enter the selected area.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, there is shown a slug 43 of substantially the same diameter as a quarter but thinner. Thus, the slug 43 can enter the runway by passing through the orifice. However, because the slug 43 is thinner than the quarter, the slug 43 passes between the spaced parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 as shown in FIGS. 15-17. Thus, the slug 43 also drops into the rejected area.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, there is shown a slug 44, which has the same diameter as a quarter but is thicker. When the slug 44 enters the runway, the greater thickness of the slug 44 causes it to be more upright (see FIG. 19) than the coin 36, which is the quarter, is in FIG. 9. Therefore, since the slug 44 is not inclined in the same manner as is the coin 36 because of its greater thickness, the speed of the slug 44 rolling along the runway results in the slug 44 falling off of the runway into the rejected area.

Therefore, the single wire 10 of the present invention allows only a coin of the specific value to reach the selected area.

. This is a quarter in the examples shown in the drawings.

Thus, if the coin analyzer of the present invention is to allow a coin of another value to reach the selected area rather than the quarter, appropriate changes in the shape of the wire 10 would be necessary. This would include changing the distance between the parts of the first portions 15 and the second portion 16 forming the runway, vertically spacing the third portion 17 a different distance from the first portion 15 and the second portion 16, and changing the position of the sixth portion 20 relative to the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 to define the orifice with a size only slightly larger than the diameter of the coin to be selected.

Referring to FIGS. 20 to 22, there is shown another form of the present invention in which a wire 45 (see FIG. 22) is sup ported by the lip or shelf 27. The wire 45 has a first portion 46 disposed within an opening in the shelf 27 to support the wire 45 on the housing 11, a second portion 47 extending from the first portion 46, a curved third portion 48, and a fourth portion 49 is disposed in spaced relation to the second portion 47 by the curved portion" 48. The fourth portion 49 engages beneath the parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 of the wire 10 in the area in which the speed of the coin is controlled.

With the portion 49 disposed beneath parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 of the wire 10 and in engaging relation therewith, the insertion of the coin 36 or any other coin or slug will not cause vibration of the wire 10. Instead, the portion 49 prevents this vibration, but the portion 49 of the wire 45 functions to control the speed of the coin 36 before it enters the orifice.

In FIG. 20, the coin 36 is shown after it has been inserted into the housing 11 through an opening in a support structure for the housing 11. Thus, the coin 36 is dropped straight downwardly and not deposited into the housing 11 through the opening 28 in the sidewall 29.

It should be understood that the wire 45 may be utilized when the coin 36 is inserted into the housing through the opening 28 in the sidewall 29. Likewise, the coin 36 or the various other slugs and coins could be inserted in the manner shown in FIG. 20 rather than being inserted through the opening 28 in the sidewall 29 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the wire 10 may function th any type of means that receives the coin for direction into the area in which parts of the first portion 15 and the second portion l6 cooperate to control the speed with which the coin enters the orifice.

While the wire 10 is preferably formed of stainless steel spring wire, it should be understood that any other suitable type of wire could be employed. It is only necessary that the wire 10 have sufficient resilience when the wire is not employed to control the speed with which the coin enters the orifice. When the wire 45 is utilized, the wire 10 may be formed of a nonresilient material if desired.

The diameter of the wire 10 depends upon the coin that is to be allowed to advance to the selected area. Thus, the wire would have a diameter of 0.040 inches for a quarter while its diameter would be 0.062 inches for a half dollar.

An advantage of this invention is that it tends to be selfcleaning since only a point contact occurs between the coin and the wire. Another advantage of this invention is that there is less resistance to the movement of a coin along a runway than in presently available coin mechanisms whereby more accurate control of the speed of the coin along the runway is obtained. Another advantage of this invention is that it is connected only at a single point so that easy removal and installation is obtainable.

What I claimis:

1. As a new article of manufacture a coin-edge support runway for a drop chute, said runway comprising a round, stainless steel spring wire formed to provide support means for supporting a coin on its edge with substantially point contact between the coin and runway, and means operatively associated with said runway for automatically dislodging coins from said runway which have a size above or below a predetermined size.

2. An article as called for in claim 1 wherein the coin runway includes an upper, coin-receptive portion and a lower, terminal end, said runway being straight and uniformly inclined from its upper to lower end.

3. An article as called for in claim 2 wherein said runway includes integrally formed first and second coin-face support portions, the first of which includes an upper, coin-edge receptive portion disposed in abutting parallism with the upper, coin-receptive portion of said runway and a lower portion which is spaced from and inclined upwardly from the lower portion of said runway for defining a coin-face support portion which terminatesshort of the terminal end of said runway, the second coin-face support portion spaced above and in substantial parallism with the coin-face support portion of said first coin-face support, wherein the relationship of said first and second coin-face support portions is such as to engage spaced portions of the face of a coin of specific value, whose edge is supported on said inclined runway.

4. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the second of the said coin-face support portions is displaced from the vertical with reference to the first of said coin-face support portions for inclining a coin of specific value supported on said runway at a selected angle.

5. An article as called for in claim 4 wherein the angle at which a coin of specific value is supported is approximately l2".

6. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the spacing between the coin-face support portion of the first of said coinface support portions and the runway is such as to dislodge a coin, which is thinner than a coin of specific value, from saidinclined runway as said thin coin advances along said runway towards its terminal end. V

7. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the spacing between the coin-face supporting portion of the second of said coin-face supporting portions and the runway is greater than the diameter of an undersized coin whereby the upper face portion of an undersized coin will not be supported incident to movement of the coin down the inclined runway thereby causing said coin to be dislodged from the runway at a location in advance of its terminal end.

8. An article as called for in claim 3, wherein the upper end of the second of said coin-face supporting portions terminates in a U shaped mounting loop from which the entire runway assembly is adapted to be secured to a support surface.

9. An article as called for in claim 8, in which one ofthe legs of said mounting loop is formed to define an abutment which projects over and is spaced above the upper coin-receptive portion of said runway by a dimension approximating the diameter of a coin of specific value, said runway adapted to vibrate under the weight of a coin dropped thereon for forcing said coin against said abutment in a series of vibrations of decreasing amplitude until the speed at which the coin will advance along the said runway has been reduced to a selected value.

10. An article as called for in claim 9 which includes means for selectively controlling the amplitude of vibration of the runway.

11. A device for permitting only a coin of a specific value having a specific diameter and thickness to enter a selected area, said device including:

a. support means;

b. said support means having means to receive coins therein;

c. orifice means to receive the coin from said receiving means;

d. means to control the speed of the coin before it enters said orifice means;

e. and means to allow only a coin of the specific diameter and thickness to move on said runway from said orifice means to the selected area; and wherein each of said orifice means, said control means, and said allowing means is formed of round, stainless steel, spring wire.

12. The device according to claim 11 in which said orifice means, said control means, and said allowing means are formed ofa single length of continuouswire.

l3.The device according to claim 11 in which said control means includes means to bounce the coin to prevent the coin from entering said orifice means until its speed is reduced to a selected value.

14. The device according to claim 11 in which:

said allowing means includes means forming a runway for the coin from said orifice means, said runway means extending from said orifice means;

and said runway means including means to cause coins having a diameter or thickness different than the coin of the specific value to cease to be supported by said runway means before the coin can advance the length ofsaid runway means.

15. The device according to claim 14 in which: said runway means includes:

first and second wire portions disposed adjacent but spaced from each other, the distance between said first and second wire portions being slightly less than the thickness ofa coin ofthe specific value;

one of said wire portions supporting an edge of the coin while the other of said wire portions engages one face of the coin;

and means vertically spaced from each of said wire portions a distance slightly less than the diameter of the coin ofthe specific value, said vertically spaced means engaging the one face of a coin of the specific value to cooperate with the other of said wire portions to support a coin of the specific value.

16. The device according to claim 15 in which said vertically spaced means is a wire.

17. The device according to claim 16 in which said wire portions of said runway means and said wire of said vertically spaced means are a single continuous wire.

18. The device according to claim 17 in which said wire portions of said runway means are connected to each other exterior of said orifice means to form said control means.

19. The device according to claim 18 in which said control means vibrates to reduce the speed of the coin before it enters said orifice means.

20. The device according to claim 18 including means to engage said wire portions forming said control means for selectively controlling the degree of vibration when a coin engages said control means, said engaging means forming-part of said control means.

21. The device according to claim 18 in which:

said orifice means includes:

a part of each of said first and second wire portions forming said runway means, said parts of said first and second wire portions being disposed sufficiently close to each other to prevent a coin of any thickness from passing therebetween;

and a wire disposed in vertically spaced relation to said parts of said first and second wire portions.

22. The device according to claim 15 in which said one wire portion of said first and second wire portions is inclined at a greater angle than said other wire'portion of said first and second wire portions.

23. The device according to claim 14 in which said support means has means to guide a coin of the specific value to the selected area after the coin leaves said runway means.

24. A single element coin selection device .for use in allowing only a coin of a specific value having a specific diameter and thickness to pass into a selected area comprising:

a single continuous round, spring wire having:

first and second portions disposed adjacent to each other;

said first portion having .one end connected to one end of said second portion;

said first portion and said second portion functioning as a portion of a runway in the parts of said first portion and said second portion remote from their connection to each other;

said first portion and said second portion being spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of a coin of the specific value in the runway area;

a third portion spaced from said first and second portions a distance less than the diameter of a coin of the specific value;

a fourth portion connecting the other end of said second portion to one end of said third portion;

a fifth portion having one end connected to the other end of said fourth portion and forming connecting means for said wire to its support means;

and a sixth portion connected to the other end of said fifth portion and cooperating with parts of said first portion and said second portion to form an orifice for a coin before before it enters the runway, said parts of said first and second portions forming part of the orifice being closer to each other than the thickness of any coin.

25. The device according to claim 24 in which the parts of said first and second portions adjacent their connection function to control the speed of the coin before it enters the orifice, the parts forming the control being sufficiently close to each other to prevent a coin of any thickness from passing therebetween.

26. The device according to claim 25 in which said wire has a seventh portion connected to the other end of said sixth portion to guide a coin to the control. 

1. As a new article of manufacture a coin-edge support runway for a drop chute, said runway comprising a round, stainless steel spring wire formed to provide support means for supporting a coin on its edge with substantially point contact between the coin and runway, and means operatively associated with said runway for automatically dislodging coins from said runway which have a size above or below a predetermined size.
 2. An article as called for in claim 1 wherein the coin runway includes an upper, coin-receptive portion and a lower, termiNal end, said runway being straight and uniformly inclined from its upper to lower end.
 3. An article as called for in claim 2 wherein said runway includes integrally formed first and second coin-face support portions, the first of which includes an upper, coin-edge receptive portion disposed in abutting parallism with the upper, coin-receptive portion of said runway and a lower portion which is spaced from and inclined upwardly from the lower portion of said runway for defining a coin-face support portion which terminates short of the terminal end of said runway, the second coin-face support portion spaced above and in substantial parallism with the coin-face support portion of said first coin-face support, wherein the relationship of said first and second coin-face support portions is such as to engage spaced portions of the face of a coin of specific value, whose edge is supported on said inclined runway.
 4. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the second of the said coin-face support portions is displaced from the vertical with reference to the first of said coin-face support portions for inclining a coin of specific value supported on said runway at a selected angle.
 5. An article as called for in claim 4 wherein the angle at which a coin of specific value is supported is approximately 12*.
 6. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the spacing between the coin-face support portion of the first of said coin-face support portions and the runway is such as to dislodge a coin, which is thinner than a coin of specific value, from said inclined runway as said thin coin advances along said runway towards its terminal end.
 7. An article as called for in claim 3 wherein the spacing between the coin-face supporting portion of the second of said coin-face supporting portions and the runway is greater than the diameter of an undersized coin whereby the upper face portion of an undersized coin will not be supported incident to movement of the coin down the inclined runway thereby causing said coin to be dislodged from the runway at a location in advance of its terminal end.
 8. An article as called for in claim 3, wherein the upper end of the second of said coin-face supporting portions terminates in a U shaped mounting loop from which the entire runway assembly is adapted to be secured to a support surface.
 9. An article as called for in claim 8, in which one of the legs of said mounting loop is formed to define an abutment which projects over and is spaced above the upper coin-receptive portion of said runway by a dimension approximating the diameter of a coin of specific value, said runway adapted to vibrate under the weight of a coin dropped thereon for forcing said coin against said abutment in a series of vibrations of decreasing amplitude until the speed at which the coin will advance along the said runway has been reduced to a selected value.
 10. An article as called for in claim 9 which includes means for selectively controlling the amplitude of vibration of the runway.
 11. A device for permitting only a coin of a specific value having a specific diameter and thickness to enter a selected area, said device including: a. support means; b. said support means having means to receive coins therein; c. orifice means to receive the coin from said receiving means; d. means to control the speed of the coin before it enters said orifice means; e. and means to allow only a coin of the specific diameter and thickness to move on said runway from said orifice means to the selected area; and wherein each of said orifice means, said control means, and said allowing means is formed of round, stainless steel, spring wire.
 12. The device according to claim 11 in which said orifice means, said control means, and said allowing means are formed of a single length of continuous wire.
 13. The device according to claim 11 in which said control means includes means to bounce the coin to prevent the coin from enteRing said orifice means until its speed is reduced to a selected value.
 14. The device according to claim 11 in which: said allowing means includes means forming a runway for the coin from said orifice means, said runway means extending from said orifice means; and said runway means including means to cause coins having a diameter or thickness different than the coin of the specific value to cease to be supported by said runway means before the coin can advance the length of said runway means.
 15. The device according to claim 14 in which: said runway means includes: first and second wire portions disposed adjacent but spaced from each other, the distance between said first and second wire portions being slightly less than the thickness of a coin of the specific value; one of said wire portions supporting an edge of the coin while the other of said wire portions engages one face of the coin; and means vertically spaced from each of said wire portions a distance slightly less than the diameter of the coin of the specific value, said vertically spaced means engaging the one face of a coin of the specific value to cooperate with the other of said wire portions to support a coin of the specific value.
 16. The device according to claim 15 in which said vertically spaced means is a wire.
 17. The device according to claim 16 in which said wire portions of said runway means and said wire of said vertically spaced means are a single continuous wire.
 18. The device according to claim 17 in which said wire portions of said runway means are connected to each other exterior of said orifice means to form said control means.
 19. The device according to claim 18 in which said control means vibrates to reduce the speed of the coin before it enters said orifice means.
 20. The device according to claim 18 including means to engage said wire portions forming said control means for selectively controlling the degree of vibration when a coin engages said control means, said engaging means forming part of said control means.
 21. The device according to claim 18 in which: said orifice means includes: a part of each of said first and second wire portions forming said runway means, said parts of said first and second wire portions being disposed sufficiently close to each other to prevent a coin of any thickness from passing therebetween; and a wire disposed in vertically spaced relation to said parts of said first and second wire portions.
 22. The device according to claim 15 in which said one wire portion of said first and second wire portions is inclined at a greater angle than said other wire portion of said first and second wire portions.
 23. The device according to claim 14 in which said support means has means to guide a coin of the specific value to the selected area after the coin leaves said runway means.
 24. A single element coin selection device for use in allowing only a coin of a specific value having a specific diameter and thickness to pass into a selected area comprising: a single continuous round, spring wire having: first and second portions disposed adjacent to each other; said first portion having one end connected to one end of said second portion; said first portion and said second portion functioning as a portion of a runway in the parts of said first portion and said second portion remote from their connection to each other; said first portion and said second portion being spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of a coin of the specific value in the runway area; a third portion spaced from said first and second portions a distance less than the diameter of a coin of the specific value; a fourth portion connecting the other end of said second portion to one end of said third portion; a fifth portion having one end connected to the other end of said fourth portion and forming connecting means for said wire to its support means; and a siXth portion connected to the other end of said fifth portion and cooperating with parts of said first portion and said second portion to form an orifice for a coin before before it enters the runway, said parts of said first and second portions forming part of the orifice being closer to each other than the thickness of any coin.
 25. The device according to claim 24 in which the parts of said first and second portions adjacent their connection function to control the speed of the coin before it enters the orifice, the parts forming the control being sufficiently close to each other to prevent a coin of any thickness from passing therebetween.
 26. The device according to claim 25 in which said wire has a seventh portion connected to the other end of said sixth portion to guide a coin to the control. 